Business Opportunities for Seafarers

March 2, 2017, 10:02 amMarch 29, 2015

The many years spent by seafarers working on an international cargo or passenger’s ships is an assurance for their family of a regular income—and in dollars at that. But like every OPFW, seafarers also dream of returning home to be with their family and relatives and stay with them for good. They, too, are thinking of someday retiring from work.

Once this happens, seafarers and their families need to think of ways and means on how to maintain their upkeep. They need to plan their financial posture so that they don’t need to worry about sending their children to school or pay the amortization of their home or car loan, since the steady flow or green bucks has stopped.

Joining local shipping firms or other related fields can be an option, but for some seafarers who feel they’ve had enough of seafaring and want to try other fields of endeavor, they can put to the test their hidden skills in entrepreneurship. They may consider venturing into a business. That way, the money they saved will be channeled to a business undertaking that may anchor the family’s future.

– Video Game Arcade/Computer Shop – Who hasn’t heard of video games and the Internet and the hordes of youngsters addicted to them? With a captive and willing market among school kids, setting up a neighborhood video game arcade cum computer shop can be undertaken even without leaving your own home. Once you find a suitable space for your business, be it your own garage or a rented space, all you need are two to four play station units, TV sets, PCs, and a telephone line to get you going. That will cost you at least P100,000. Of course, you can acquire more gaming sets once the clientele starts growing.

– Agro-Business – Offering a much wider and bigger opportunities than franchising, venturing into agri-business is often overlooked if not disregarded by many would-be entrepreneurs. Unlike other ventures though, agri business may require more time before your realize profits. But once you get going, there’s no stopping it. For those with idle lands in the provinces, traditional rice and vegetable farming, as well as tilapia and bangus breeding are possible options. But with the stiff competition brought about by imported grains, you may consider into a specialized farming.

Aquaculture experts recommend venturing into niche markets such as raising eel, lobsters, lapu-lapu, and uland or Giant Malaysian Prawns. On the farming side, one option is organic vegetable farming. There is a growing market for organic produce after consumers heard of reports that most vegetable are sprayed, if not drowned, with chemical pesticides and preservatives to maintain their fresh look on the shelves.

– Bubble Gum Machine – If you are not really that interested to get into business and not ready to handle the financial risks that go with it, then experiment with a P2,000 to P5,000 investment by getting one of those bubble gum machines you see in schools, malls movie houses, supermarkets, play areas, and other places frequented by kids. The minimal investment and the profits you may realize may just inspire you to get into bigger ventures and sail all the way to prosperity.

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